This invention relates to an apparatus for conveying a base and more particularly to a technique effectively applicable to an apparatus for conveying a base for use in a film laminator.
Printed circuit boards for use in electronic equipment e.g., computers are such that a copper wiring or the like having a predetermined pattern is formed on the surface of an insulating base.
A printed circuit board of that sort is made in the following process steps. A laminate consisting of a photosensitive resin layer (photoresist) and a translucent resin film (protective film) for protecting the photosensitive resin layer is bonded onto a conductive layer provided on an insulating base through thermocompresson bonding. The thermocompression bonding of laminates is conducted by a laminator on a mass-production basis. Then a wiring pattern film is superposed on the laminate, and the photosensitive resin layer is exposed to light for a predetermined period of time through the wiring pattern film and the translucent resin film. The photosensitive resin layer thus exposed to light is developed to form an etching mask pattern after the translucent resin film is peeled off by a peeling device. Unnecessary portions of the conductive layer are subsequently removed by etching and the remaining photosensitive resin layer is also removed to form a printed circuit board having a predetermined wiring pattern.
During the process of manufacturing the printed circuit board, there is needless to say required the step of forming a laminate consisting of a photosensitive resin layer and a translucent resin film on an insulating base having conductive layers formed on both sides thereof through thermocompression bonding.
A roll of laminate continuously wound on a supply roller of a film laminator is pulled out and then cut into pieces corresponding in dimensions to the base to provide a laminate to be bonded thereto.
An apparatus for conveying the base to the thermocompresson roller position is equipped with a plurality of rotary means formed with a plurality of discoidal rollers (pinch rollers), which are rotated to move the base. When the base approaches the thermocompression rollers, fixed guide members guide the base crosswise toward the centerline in the conveyance direction and cause the thermocompression rollers to hold the base therebetween.
However, even if the base is set exactly along the centerline of the conveyance path, there is still a fear that the set position of the base would be offset from a desired position. Namely, when the base is set between the thermocompression-clamping members, a part of the base is only clamped thereby, so that there is a still fear that the base would be moved (forwardly or rearwardly, leftwardly or rightwardly, or upwardly or downwardly) by the collision shock of the clamping upon the initial clamping, or a leading end of the base would be likely to bent downwardly so that the position of the base would be offset from the set position of the thin film to be laminated.
The above-described and other problems to be solved by the present invention and novel features thereof will become manifest upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying drawings.